 Dora and the cute ickle owl! Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll
Gaston took an automatic step back, and the snarl on Dora's face made him shrink back even farther. For one wild moment, he half-expected her to aim a hex at him, and his hand twitched, ready to reach for his wand at a moment's notice. But she was putting her wand away; that was a good sign. The angry words came as no surprise, but somehow they weren't as biting as he'd expected. Maybe the anger and guilt he already felt at himself had dulled their effect. He sighed sadly. "I didn't, honest!" he replied, the look in his eyes underscoring the sincerity of his words. "I didn't have a hand in planning that challenge, so I only knew parts of it and that..." His voice trailed off, but her forced himself on. "...that wasn't one of them. If I'd known what they planned to do to those people, I would've-" He started to say he would've stopped it, but maybe that was expecting a bit too much of himself. "Well, I can't promise I would've stopped it - you know how useless I am at standing up to people - but I would've fought it as hard as I could."
Her next set of questions had him baffled. "I don't know," he said. It was the only honest answer he could give. He thought about it for a minute. Why had no one intervened? After a long pause, he added, "I think we were just too shocked by everything that had happened to react." Or at least that was why he hadn't reacted; he couldn't speak for the other professors.
All Gaston could do was watch with wide, panic-stricken eyes as Dora - proud, strong Dora - crumpled to the floor sobbing. A million thoughts, each worse than the last, ran through his mind. Was she ill? Should he send for River? What should he do? Instinct took over, and he knelt beside her. He doubted there was much he could do to make her feel better, but he couldn't just leave her this way! "That's it... let it out," he said softly. "you have every right to be upset." He was struggling not to cry himself,but he forced his own feelings to the back of his mind as much as he could. This girl needed him to stay strong right now!
What the-? Gaston's dark head jerked up just as an owl landed nearby. Go away, owl! This isn't a good time! he thought angrily, but he supposed the bad timing wasn't the owl's fault. It was just doing its job. "Shh..." he hushed the bird as it started hooting. He reached out to pet the owl, wishing he had a treat to give it. Or maybe he did! A quick search of his jacket pocket turned up a leftover chocolate frog from the challenge. Did this owl like chocolate frogs?
__________________ Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led
If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true... |